Life in Holland

in the 1600's

Work in Holland

in the 1600's

Tools and instruments

Art. 79 - Curiousorrareobjects (Rariteijten)

It is our great good fortune that Maria did not throw away all of her father's stuff after he died. The notaries who inventoried her possessions must have found this all in one place, perhaps the comptoire on the upper floor where Leeuwenhoek worked. Page 108v (right; click to enlarge) contains all of it.

weerglazen: "a sight glass filled with a liquid at the level of which one was able to make determinations about the weather; Denoting specific meteorological instruments or such, an instrument used in specific functions such as temperature or air pressure meter, or sometimes both" - WNT)

brandglas: Aburning glass ()

barometer: a barometer, which makes me think that weerglas is something else, like a thermometer or a barometer/thermometer combination

globes -- detail from Evert Collier's Vanitas showing two globes, one astrological and one terrestrial.

globes (globen)

extending telescope (verrekijker)

compass (compas)

instruments for grinding glass

surveyor's chain with the sticks and boards belonging to it, the chain being 5 rods (roeden) lang, each rod divided into 20